The Holidays are almost upon us! I love, love, love this time of year! The snow, the chill in the air, the food….. This year Joe and I will be spending most of the holidays (except for Christmas Eve and Day) up in Vermont with the roaring fire and tons of snow. Hello heaven! Plus, my birthday is right before Christmas, sooooo extra presents for me! I will say though, I love giving gifts way more that I love getting them, and since I’m cash poor this year (thanks, law school and unemployment) I’ll probably get creative. There will definitely be some food gifts, crafts… so that there are still wrapped presents under the tree that I’m excited to give.

If you have a foodie, a cook, a vegan, or a blogger in your home – these gifts are sure to be a hit. These are all things I’ve either asked for in Christmas’ past, or am hoping to get in Christmas’ future! I would never recommend anything to you, my readers, that I either didn’t use myself, or really want!

So let me tell you about these awesome gifts!!

1. Striped Paper Straws: Any time I take pictures of beverages, I always stick in a pretty striped or chevron paper straw, and I really want to have a party where I can feature them on our demi-lune bar table! I don’t have a bunch so far, but I think these red and white ones are just perfect for the holidays!

2. Cacao Nibs: I order these on Etsy all the time for cooking. I love putting them on top of muffins, smoothies or mixing them in baked goods. I think these add visual appeal (that’s what we used to call “ooooh, pretty!” in the magazine biz), without making something overly sweet.

3. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet: This is something I actually asked for this Christmas (hiiiii Mom!) for a whole bunch of reasons. They last forever, they add more flavor to your food, and they look awesome in pictures! I first learned about these on a Country Living shoot in West Virginia where I had to hang them on a wall. Umm, these things are heavy. Needless to say, I will not be doing that in my rental apartment kitchen.

4.Cuisinart Imursion Blender:So I can’t even begin to link to how many times I’ve suggested in my recipes that you use one of these. From making apple butter to every time I make a cashew cream, I use this thing. And it comes with a mini food processor and whisk. It has absolutely changed my life. I absolutely use it every day and love it.

5.Mason Jar Glasses: I just love these and think they are awesome. I have visions of drinking spiked sweet tea out of them at dusk in our backyard in summer with friends. The fact that we neither have a backyard nor any place to actually store a dozen of them is totally irrelevant. Someday, in my future, I will have that moment!

6. Williams Sonoma Avocado Slicer & Pitter:So, as I’ve mentioned before, I have an addiction to Avocados. I eat some almost everyday. So this little gadget is super handy (though I suggest leaving the pit in as long as possible because it helps prevent the avocado from browning). I used it whenever I put avocados in my sandwiches or salads, and I got one for my Mom for Christmas a few years ago. Super handy gift right here!

7. Raw Cashews:Have you guys seen how many recipes I used cashews in?! I need to buy these little guys in bulk, and that fact that these are organic, is just an awesome bonus. While I have experimented a little with almonds, and have some experiments planned for macadamias, right now these are a major staple in my home.

8.Nesco Dehydrator: I don’t know much about dehydrating right now, but I constantly see awesome recipes that need them. And well, leaving my oven on for 8 hours doesn’t seem very efficient. There are definitely pricier models, but any time I’m learning how to do something I go for efficient and affordable, and this is both those things!

9. Riedel Wine Glasses:Somehow, in matter of 3 weeks my boyfriend and I managed to break both our fancy wine glasses. (Yes, we only had 2.) The rest are all a hodgepodge of wine glasses I’ve been collecting since college. We’ve both kind of agreed that we need a grown up set at some point and we both think Riedel glasses are the bee’s knees. These are my personal favorites, but you know he may have a different opinion. I think the exaggerated lines on these are stunning. And they hold lots of wine!!

10.Wusthof Classic Cook’sKnife: This is a must have if you don’t have a chef’s knife. My boyfriend got it for me for Christmas last year and it changed my life. Seriously. I was using dull generic knives before this and it has cut my cooking prep time in half. Chopping onions, garlic… and well …anything used to just be a battle. This just makes it do much faster and precise. I’ve definitely come close to losing the tips of my fingers a few times though, so be careful!

11. Nikon Digital Camera: I want a DSLR camera so bad. And Nikons seem like the way to go. But good grief, these things are expensive!!!! I mean like the price of our rent expensive. So I’m always on the look out for good used one, because otherwise that just seems crazy to me right now. This is something I’m really hoping to get for Christmas this year, but we will see. Santa has to decide how good I’ve been!

12. Kitchen Aid Mixer: This is, hands down, one my favorite Christmas presents ever. My Mom got it for me the year I moved into my first apartment, and it is that most important tool I have, even if I don’t use it every day. Plus, last year I got myself the ice cream maker attachment and it just has so many uses! This is a serious gift, for a serious cook!

I hope this has give you some good ideas! (Even if they are just for presents for yourself!) Happy Holidays!!